Gel Nail Polish: The Painted Truth

Dr. Richard K. Scher discussed the dangers of gel nail polish, and also gave tips to share with patients on how to have a safe experience at the nail salon at the American Academy of Dermatology's Summer Academy meeting in New York.

Patients undergoing gel nail polish application at salons expose their hands to several minutes of UV light to harden the layers of polish, said Dr. Scher of Columbia University, New York. Their hands are also soaked in acetone for up to 10 minutes to dissolve the hard to remove shellac during polish changes.

In the video below, Dr. Scher offers advice and tips for patients that frequent nail salons.